Methods and apparatus for mobile computing device security in testing facilities

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9864655-B2
Application number	US-201514928961-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2015
Priority date	Oct 30, 2015
Publication date	Jan 9, 2018
Grant date	Jan 9, 2018

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for providing testing as a service. A loading computing device can receive a request to restore a testing computing device to a known software configuration. The loading computing device, after receiving the request to restore the testing computing device, can restore the testing computing device by at least: obtaining a software image storing the known software configuration, where the software image includes security-context data having security contexts associated with the plurality of software components, and where a particular security context can have an identity, a role, and a domain or type; storing at least part of the obtained software image onto the testing computing device, and after storing at least part of the obtained software image onto the testing computing device, setting security contexts for the obtained software image stored on the testing computing device using the security-context data.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a loading computing device, a request to restore a testing computing device to a known software configuration comprising a plurality of software components for the testing computing device, wherein the testing computing device comprises testing computer-readable storage divisible into a plurality of partitions; and
after receiving the request to restore the testing computing device to the known software configuration, restoring the testing computing device to the known software configuration by at least:
obtaining, by the loading computing device, a software image from computer-readable storage, the software image storing at least part of the known software configuration, wherein the software image comprises security-context data having one or more security contexts associated with the plurality of software components, and wherein a particular security context of the one or more security contexts comprises an identity, a role, and a domain,
storing, by the loading computing device, at least the plurality of software components of the obtained software image onto the testing computing device by at least:
determining, by the loading computing device, one or more first partitions of the plurality of partitions to be stored using a first storage technique that comprises a byte-for-byte storage technique;
storing, by the loading computing device, the one or more first partitions as part of the software image using the first storage technique;
determining, by the loading computing device, one or more second partitions of the plurality of partitions to be stored using a second storage technique that comprises a file-by-file storage technique; and
storing the one or more storage partitions as part of the software image using the second storage technique, and

after storing the plurality of software components onto the testing computing device, setting one or more security contexts for the plurality of software components stored on the testing computing device using the security-context data stored with the software image.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing, by the loading computing device, an image of an updated software configuration of the testing computing device as the software image storing the known software configuration, wherein the updated software configuration comprises a software configuration of the testing computing device updated based on one or more selections of one or more settings for the software configuration.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
disabling at least wireless communications with the testing computing device.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
after receiving the request to restore the testing computing device to the known software configuration, removing one or more applications installed on the testing computing device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein a particular second partition of the one or more second partitions comprises a plurality of files that includes a particular file, and wherein storing the security-context data of the software image for one or more security contexts associated with one or more components of the software image comprises:
determining a particular security context for the particular file; and
storing data for the particular security context for the particular file as at least part of security-context data stored with the software image.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein setting the one or more security contexts of the one or more components of the software image based on the stored security-context data of the software image:
determining the particular security context for the particular file from the security-context data stored with the software image; and
setting, by the loading computing device, a security context of the particular file to be the particular security context.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
attempting to conduct a testing session that includes the testing computing device.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein attempting to conduct the testing session comprises:
determining, by the loading computing device, one or more software entities to be tested during the testing session;
determining, by the loading computing device, whether the one or more software entities are suspicious software entities; and
after determining that the one or more software entities are suspicious software entities, the loading computing device determining to refrain from conducting the testing session.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
conducting a testing session that includes the testing computing device;
after conducting the testing session, determining, by the loading computing device, whether to restore the testing computing device to the known software configuration; and
after determining to restore the testing computing device to the known software configuration, the loading computing device:
removing one or more software applications from the testing computing device that were stored thereon during the testing session;
removing one or more application data files from the testing computing device that were stored thereon during the testing session; and
removing one or more debugging log files from the testing computing device that were stored thereon during the testing session.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
conducting a testing session that includes the testing computing device;
after conducting the testing session, determining, by the loading computing device, whether to restore the testing computing device to the known software configuration; and
after determining to restore the testing computing device to the known software configuration, clearing, by the loading computing device, a kernel message buffer of the testing computing device.

11. A computing device, comprising:
one or more processors; and
data storage configured to store at least a software image and executable instructions, wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:
receiving a request to restore a testing computing device to a known software configuration comprising a plurality of software components for the testing computing device, wherein the testing computing device comprises testing computer-readable storage divisible into a plurality of partitions; and
after receiving the request to restore the testing computing device to the known software configuration, restoring the testing computing device to the known software configuration by at least:
obtaining the software image from the computer-readable storage, the software image storing the known software configuration, wherein the software image comprises security-context data having one or more security contexts associated with the plurality of software components, and wherein a particular security context of the one or more security contexts comprises an identity, a role, and a domain,
storing at least the plurality of software components of the obtained software image onto the testing computing device by at least:
determining, by the loading computing device, one or more first partitions of the plurality of partitions to be stored using a first storage technique that comprises a byte-for-byte storage technique;
storing, by the loading computing device, the one or more first partitions as part of the software image using the first storage technique;
determining, by the loading computing device, one or more second partitions of the plurality of partitions to be stored using a second storage technique that comprises a file-b

Assignees

• Google Inc
• Google Llc

Inventors

• Patnaik Pratyus
• Carlson Jordan
• Kim Jong Hyeop
• Farzan Frank
• Chang Andy
• Marsh Emma E

Classifications

• G06F11/143 Primary

  with loss of software functionality · CPC title

• G06F21/51

  at application loading time, e.g. accepting, rejecting, starting or inhibiting executable software based on integrity or source reliability · CPC title

• G06F2201/865

  Monitoring of software · CPC title

• G06F21/577 Primary

  Assessing vulnerabilities and evaluating computer system security · CPC title